Notpla develops seaweed-based drinks carrier for London’s Allianz Stadium

Allianz Stadium in London, UK, has become the first in the country to adopt a plastic-free and home-compostable drinks carrier at the recent England XV versus France XV rugby match. The rugby ball-shaped drinks carrier was developed by Notpla, a provider of seaweed packaging.

“We’re proud to work with Notpla to deliver practical, visible steps toward a more sustainable matchday and event experience. This new drinks carrier is just one more example of how these changes, delivered at scale, can make a big difference for our fans and the planet,” says Gary Cargill, director of Catering Services, Twickenham Experience, at Allianz Stadium.

Pierre Paslier, co-founder and co-CEO at Notpla, adds: “Working directly with the team at Allianz Stadium has allowed us to design and deliver true packaging innovation at speed.” 

“This kind of collaboration — with a venue willing to lead and a caterer committed to action —  is how we make plastic-free stadiums a reality and really tackle the problem of single-use plastics head-on.”

Eliminating plastic

The collaboration between Notpla and Allianz Stadium’s catering and operations teams is also supported by Levy UK and Irelands, a sports and hospitality sector expert. 

The carrier was designed to tackle the specific challenges of matchday service, including stackability and disposal. 

This latest solution builds on Allianz Stadium’s adoption of Notpla’s seaweed-based chip forks during the 2024 Guinness Six Nations. 

Allianz Stadium’s partnership with Notpla has resulted in the replacement of over 100,000 foodservice single-use items, such as cutlery, with 50,000 of those in the past year alone. 

The partnership has eliminated more than 86 kg of plastic, while the stadium has prevented the release of nearly one metric ton (974 kg) of CO2.